Elven Ties: Black tears
by Ladygreysun
Summary: Aragorn is out on in the wild with the rangers.When Legolas isn't there, another elf replaces him..But when the trip goes from bad to worse, it's up to this quite different elf to save the situationand on his own.


** Elven Ties: Black Tears.**  


Discalaimer:**I do not own Lord of the Rings or the Silmarillon. I'm only borrowing Tolkien's characters and will give them back onceI've finished with them. Places,events and characters you don't recognize are mine, but be careful, some might be taken as references by the characters. N.b: some references will be taken from the Silmarillon**

**Note: Rated T to be safe**

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Chapter one: A journey home.

The guard stretched his arms for a moment. His night watching hadn't done good to him. Standing for half a night long was _not_ something you could expect from someone who had ridden over the past two to four days. And you just couldn't expect them to watch over a sleeping dozen humans out in the wild while they were just as exhausted as the latter.

However,the guard knew better- and was too experienced to do such a thing- than to doze off in the out -wild. Most would have done by now, but he couldn't. He had been too well trained. the guard stood from the rock he had taken refuge on for the last past hours and strode through the tall herbs surrounding the camp, to a spot the camp's fire had been consuming itself over the last second half of the night. he had let end completely towards the first sights of dawn. Yet he lit it up again, not wanting to have grumpy and hungry men on his back.

He'll have some hunting to do, mused Rylek. The last piece of acceptable meat- wild deer caught two days after their departure from Rivendell-had been quickly eaten. This made him think of his own bed,and he grinned inwardly, as he heard stirring up movements behind him.

"You look tired." stated the man." Go and rest." The elf cocked his head to the side and gave him the just-who-do-you-think-I-am look and shrugged off the proposal. Strider said nothing and eyed hopefully the fire.

" There's no more meat, sorry.As soon as this lazy excuse of a young man wakes up, I'm off to a hunting trip."

The said 'lazy' excuse opened an eye and locked gaze with the long dark haired elf "Did someone call for me? I was having a good dream..." he mumbled something about some bed sheets and a shower.Rylek rolled his eyes to Strider, then noticed the latter had rather an impatient look on his face and seemed ready to do something he would regret or feel sorry for moments later,or even his whole life.

"I suggest you leave my arm alone, Estel, otherwise, I won't be able to HUNT down breakfast." he emphazized the word hunt to make the ranger go back to reality.

"Say, Tuor, who do you think will catch the best breakfast today,hmm? Do you still think you can outrun a Teleri with Noldor _and_ Silvan heritage?"provoked Rylek, knowing full- well that the nick-name angered the young man and Strider too. The new-found 'Tuor' exchanged a dark look with his human captain and they both silently agreed to wait for the best moment-not when the others were just waking.

" We'll see. And don't call me Tuor. It seems you keep forgetting my name's Dannaan. Or is that just because you have a short memory?" replied the provoked one. Rylek shot up from where he was sitting and stood an inche away from the other's face, glaring daggers at him and ready to kill him here and there.

"Who're you calling-

"Gentlemen. This is no time for a fight. Rylek, don't provoke others when you yourself are rather, ah,_sensitive_.Shouldn't you two be gone for a hunt? We all need to eat otherwise we won't do anything of the day and it'll be time lost."

The two kept eyeing each other hatefully, but they accepted to stay at bay and both headed towards the forest's borders, weapons drawn.

_These two really behave like children sometimes..even Rylek, though he doesn't think of it this way. What can make him allow a friendship to grow between him and Dannaan?_thought Strider, as he watched his friends walk away.

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Humans had no sense of humour. Nor did the Noldor, by the way.No wonder they had managed to create/form an Alliance the earlier century. They could go on playing pranks to one of the other's members or vice-versa, but when someone they didn't know that much interfered,they got to the conclusion that they were either insulted, provoked, attacked physically and mentally. Or maybe it was all that combined.

Rylek gritted his teeth and prepared his bow. They had separated with the younger being, their excuse actually being that they'd have more chances of catching more preys separated. Something made the bush next to him budge. He readied his aim, but only a badger shot from it, looking thoroughly alarmed by something,him, probably, and it ran for cover in the next bushes.

A sigh escaped the elf's thin lips, as he mentally notted to remind his dear Tuor never to be afraid of something as, well, insignificant as a badger. The hunter shook his head: no, that would attract to much attention to him.

A loud sqawk echoed above him. An arrow shot from the bow, described a graceful ascension, and a moment later, a soft _thud_ was heard some metres away.

Rylek ran lightly to the spot where the grey feathered partridge had fallen. Its landing had been soft because leaves had kept the small body from breaking bones. He had been lucky enough. But now he needed other preys-

_Blood, fear,pain...hurt... _Rylek's head shot up. What in all the Valars' names..?

The forest surrounding him rang of uncertainty and shadows. But when they had cross through the same forest, the day before in the afternoon, the atmosphere had been rather different...It had been coulourful and sunny and surely not that somber...

They had found at the forest's edge a field of large protruding rocks, each of them separated from the others, in a wild countryside that could remind you of Rohan...Furthermore, the trees had seem to appreciate Rylek's performance of a Lindar-Teleri- song about the great trees of Valinor. But now they seemed furious after something- or someone- and intended to frighten the elf- who was rarely scared of anything. A cracking sound came from his right, and the elf aimed in this direction-

"Whoa, I'm no deer, Rylek; what's wrong with you?" Dannaan's voice rang and the Teleri sighed audibly in relief

"Nothing...At all..I just..." Rylek added nothing else and sheathed his sword back, his hand slightly shaking. Unknown to the elf, Dannaan spotted this but didn't point it out. The elf took his small prey firmly and they went back to their hunt..

_ I hope everything's alright down there_, thought Aragorn as he stared through the trees. He shrugged and added to himself that they were old enogh to behave properly, and they needn't have a mother-hen to watch over them fiercefully- or rather a too protective she-bear over her cubs. Strider shook his head and concluded in never saying his too-protective thoughts to either of the hunters, in fear the words might reach his own elven twins brothers- wich could end up in a total _disaster_, quoting Lord Erestor every time something happened due to the Terrible Three Elrondions.

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**OK, so, sorry if you find the 1st chapter too short, but I don't want the story's plot too be reaveled just now but you have some points on Rylek's character, now. Remember, he's mine so do Not use him in any manners without asking me first. **

**Flames aren't accepted, but useful critics are. **

**Now come on, review,please... It's not too hard is it? Just a click...**

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